Third COVID-19 vaccine dose boosts antibody function in Rwandans with high HIV viral load

Cynthia L. Swan; Valentine Dushimiyimana; Pacifique Ndishimye; Rachelle Buchanan; Anthony Yourkowski; Sage Semafara; Sabin Nsanzimana; Magen E. Francis; Brittany Thivierge; Jocelyne Lew; Antonio Facciuolo; Volker Gerdts; Darryl Falzarano; Calvin Sjaarda; David J. Kelvin; Leopold Bitunguhari; Alyson A. Kelvin

iScience (Oct 2023)

Third COVID-19 vaccine dose boosts antibody function in Rwandans with high HIV viral load

Cynthia L. Swan,
Valentine Dushimiyimana,
Pacifique Ndishimye,
Rachelle Buchanan,
Anthony Yourkowski,
Sage Semafara,
Sabin Nsanzimana,
Magen E. Francis,
Brittany Thivierge,
Jocelyne Lew,
Antonio Facciuolo,
Volker Gerdts,
Darryl Falzarano,
Calvin Sjaarda,
David J. Kelvin,
Leopold Bitunguhari,
Alyson A. Kelvin

Affiliations

Cynthia L. Swan: Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization VIDO, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E3, Canada
Valentine Dushimiyimana: Research, Innovation and Data Science division at Rwanda Biomedical Centre, Kigali, Rwanda
Pacifique Ndishimye: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada; African Institute for Mathematical Sciences, Kigali, Rwanda
Rachelle Buchanan: Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization VIDO, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E3, Canada
Anthony Yourkowski: Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization VIDO, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E3, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Immunology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E5, Canada
Sage Semafara: Rwanda Network of the People living with HIV (RRP+), Kigali, Rwanda
Sabin Nsanzimana: Ministry of Health, Kigali, Rwanda
Magen E. Francis: Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization VIDO, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E3, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Immunology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E5, Canada
Brittany Thivierge: Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization VIDO, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E3, Canada
Jocelyne Lew: Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization VIDO, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E3, Canada
Antonio Facciuolo: Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization VIDO, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E3, Canada; Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B4, Canada
Volker Gerdts: Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization VIDO, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E3, Canada; Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B4, Canada
Darryl Falzarano: Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization VIDO, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E3, Canada; Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B4, Canada
Calvin Sjaarda: Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada; Queen’s Genomics Lab at Ongwanada (Q-GLO), Ongwanada Resource Centre, Kingston, ON K7M 8A6, Canada
David J. Kelvin: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
Leopold Bitunguhari: HIV clinic at Kigali University Teaching Hospital, Kigali, Rwanda
Alyson A. Kelvin: Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization VIDO, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E3, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Immunology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E5, Canada; Corresponding author

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 26, no. 10
p. 107959

Abstract

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Summary: SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) causing COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) poses a greater health risk to immunocompromized individuals including people living with HIV (PLWH). However, most studies on PLWH have been conducted in higher-income countries. We investigated the post-vaccination antibody responses of PLWH in Rwanda by collecting peripheral blood from participants after receiving a second or third COVID-19 vaccine. Virus-binding antibodies as well as antibody neutralization ability against all major SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern were analyzed. We found that people with high HIV viral loads and two COVID-19 vaccine doses had lower levels of binding antibodies that were less virus neutralizing and less cross-reactive compared to control groups. A third vaccination increased neutralizing antibody titers. Our data suggest that people with high HIV viral loads require a third dose of vaccine to neutralize SARS-CoV-2 virus and new variants as they emerge.

Published in iScience

ISSN: 2589-0042 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: United States
LCC subjects: Science
Website: http://www.cell.com/iscience/home

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